A number of disclosures have been made regarding the development of edible dog chews that are digestible and nutritious. Attention is therefore directed to the following exemplary disclosures: U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,027 “Health Chew Toy”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,161 “Heat Modifiable Edible Dog Chew; U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,516 “Method of Molding Edible Starch; U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,978 “Edible Dog Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,521 “Wheat and Casein Dog Chew with Modifiable Texture”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,441 “Heat Modifiable Peanut Dog Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,427 “Vegetable Based Dog Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,940 “High Starch Content Dog Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,941 “Animal Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,991 “Turkey and Rice Dog Chew With Modifiable Texture”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,197 “Carrot Based Dog Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,565 “Process for Making an Edible Dog Chew”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,771 “Animal Chew Toy Containing Animal Meal; U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,720 “Dog Chew with Modifiable Texture”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,212 “Dog Chew with Modifiable Texture”. Attention is also directed to U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,474 entitled “Application for Patent for Nutriceutical Toy” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,283 entitled “Animal Chew Toy of Starch Material and Degradable Ethylene Copolymer”.
While the above certainly contribute to the body of chew products available to an animal, there is nonetheless a need to improve on the above, particularly with respect to the delivery of vitamins and/or minerals. Particularly, the field has recognized the sensitivity of vitamins to heat, light, oxidizing agents, extremes in pH and other factors. Therefore to advance health care for animals, there is a need to consider the loss of such vitamins while processing the dog chews and/or to identify newer type supplements that enhance the nutritional nature of the chew itself.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a moldable dog chew toy for an animal that is enriched with vitamins and minerals to ensure that the animal's comprehensive and proper nutritional needs are maintained. In addition, it is also an object of the present invention to incorporate vitamins and minerals in a form that preserves the efficacy of the vitamins. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to incorporate a nutraceutical of fermented soya and/or enzymes and coenzymes to the dog chew toys.